Scientists at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) Munich and the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) have managed to introduce tiny antibodies into living cells. The researchers now report on the synthesis and applications for these nanobodies in "Nature Chemistry".

Scientists at the Technische Universität Darmstadt, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) Munich and the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) have managed to introduce tiny antibodies into living cells. The researchers now report on the synthesis and applications for these nanobodies in "Nature Chemistry".

The common oribatid mite species Oribatula tibialis is an extremely clever poisoner, as an interdisciplinary team of researchers under the leadership of the TU Darmstadt has shown and published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA”. The mite uses hydrogen cyanide to defend itself against predators. This is something of a sensation, because this toxin is not generally present in the arsenal of the 80,000 known species of arachnids.

The results are significant for gene therapy procedures and for our understanding of cell transformation. A team of researchers from the biology department at TU Darmstadt has discovered that the processes for repairing DNA damage are far more complex than previously assumed.

Removing exotic plant species has a much greater impact on ecosystems than previously thought. Pollination processes become more efficient, and the pollination network soon becomes more resilient. These are the findings of a major field study carried out on the Seychelles, details of which biology researchers of the TU Darmstadt are now publishing online, before an article appears in the scientific journal, Nature.

A team of researchers from the Biology department at the TU Darmstadt has identified an enzyme that separates DNA replication from repair. This discovery could be of tremendous significance in the treatment of tumours. The scientists have now published the results of their research in the renowned research journal Molecular Cell.

They can already open doors, park cars and monitor fill levels. Is there any reason why electromagnetic sensors couldn't also detect molecules, examine cells or treat tumours? ESSENCE, a nationwide German priority programme, is exploring this issue through a series of ten sub-projects.

A precise understanding of how ion beams affect biological tissue is of great importance for both radiotherapy applications and the assessment of radioprotection risks, e.g. to astronauts on long term missions in space.

Chemists, biologists and pharmacologists deal with the question of how complex active substances can be introduced into cells such that they are rapidly and easily available. Building on earlier research, interdisciplinary teams of scientists, with biology Professor M. Cristina Cardoso (TU Darmstadt), physics Professors Henry D. Herce (RPI, NY, USA and TU Darmstadt) and Angel E. Garcia (RPI, NY, USA), and chemistry Professor Christian P. R. Hackenberger (FMP, Berlin), have made some important advancements.